Hook capturing device for longline hauling apparatus

Abstract

A device for capturing hooks for use in conjunction with longline hauling and stowage apparatus includes a hook elevating ramp, an engagement plate, and a brush. The hook elevating ramp elevates the hook to the location of the guide track by which the hook is to be captured for storage, while the engagement plate rotates the hook to ensure its engagement on the guide track. The brush serves to stabilize the hook immediately prior to and during hook rotation.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent to said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the oposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent to said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank.     
     
     
       2. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising: a means for mounting said hook engaging surface for swinging movement so that said first edge can swing downstream and towards said advancement path while swinging away from said guide track.   
     
     
       3. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank, said hook engaging surface having a first and a second half, said first half being split from said second half along a line forming an extension of said slot.     
     
     
       4. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent to said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the point of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining downstream the boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminates adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent to said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said hook engaging surface having a first and a second half, said first half being split from said second half along a line forming an extension of said slot; and   mounting means for mounting at least one of said halves for swinging movement so that the lower edge of said one of said halves can swing downstream and toward said advancement path while swinging away from said guide track.     
     
     
       5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said first edge is substantially parallel to said initial portion of said guide track. 
     
     
       6. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said guide track is positioned below said advancement path, said improvement further comprising: means for positioning said gangion and said hook adjacent said advancement path at a location immediately upstream of said hook engaging surface. 
     
     
       7. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent and below said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent and below said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank; and   means for positioning said gangion and said hook adjacent said advancement path at a location immediately upstream of said hook engaging surface, said means for positioning comprising a ramp that curves both upwardly and in a downstream direction, said ramp terminating in a forward edge spaced upstream from said first edge.     
     
     
       8. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent and below said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent and below said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank; and   means for positioning said gangion and said hook adjacent said advancement path at a location immediately upstream of said hook engaging surface, said means for positioning comprising a ramp that curves both upwardly and in a downstream direction, said ramp terminating in a forward edge spaced upstream and by distance slightly greater than the distance between the bend and the point of said hook from said first edge.     
     
     
       9. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said forward edge and said initial portion of said guide track are spaced by a distance slightly less than the distance between the eye and the bend of said hook. 
     
     
       10. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the distance between said first edge and said initial portion of said guide track is less than the distance between the point and the bend of said hook. 
     
     
       11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said distance is greater than the diameter of said hook at the bend of said hook. 
     
     
       12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said initial portion of said guide track is immediately adjacent and spaced from at least a portion of said first edge. 
     
     
       13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said first edge is substantially parallel to said initial portion of said guide track. 
     
     
       14. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising: brush means positioned upstream from said hook engaging surface, said brush having bristles oriented transversely to said advancement path and terminate at a location adjacent said first edge.   
     
     
       15. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising: hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank; and   brush means positioned upstream from said surface, said brush having bristles oriented transversely to said advancement path and terminating at a location adjacent said first edge, said bristles terminating upstream from said first edge.     
     
     
       16. In an apparatus for handling longline, said longline including a ground line, a plurality of gangions affixed to said ground line at spaced intervals, and a hook affixed to the free end of said gangions, said apparatus including: (a) a means for moving said ground line along an advancement path,   (b) a hook guide track positioned adjacent said advancement path for capturing and guiding hooks along a guide path defined by said guide track, said guide track having an initial portion spaced from and nonparallel with said advancement path and a primary portion smoothly joined with said initial portion and running adjacent said advancement path,   (c) an improved hook capturing means located immediately upstream from said initial portion of said guide track comprising:   
     
     
       hook turning means upstream from and adjacent the initial portion of said hook guide track for orienting said hook such that the shank of said hook passes between said hook guide track and said advancement path and such that the point of said hook passes on the opposite side of said hook guide track, thereby allowing said hook guide track to engage the interior of said hook bend and capture said hook, said hook turning means defining a hook engaging surface having a first edge defining the downstream boundary of said hook engaging surface, said first edge terminating adjacent the opposite side of said guide track, said hook engaging surface extending upstream from said first edge and adjacent said advancement path, said hook engaging surface defining a slot extending from said first edge to and through said advancement path, said slot being an open pathway for the shank of said hook so that said hook is free to rotate about the shank without downward pressure on the shank; and means positioned adjacent at least one side of said slot and defining a projection extending away from said hook engaging surface in a downstream direction, said projection being positioned upstream from and extending slightly beyond the opposite side of said guide track for engaging the bend of said hook to assist in rotating said hook prior to its engagement with said guide track as said ground line moves along said advancement path.   
     
     
       17. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said first edge is so positioned relative to said initial portion to cause the point of a hook to engage the opposite side of said guide track. 
     
     
       18. The improvement of claim 15, wherein said guide track is positioned below said advancement path, said improvement further comprising a ramp for positioning said gangion and hook adjacent said advancement path at a location immediately upstream of said hook engaging surface, said ramp curving both upwardly and in a downstream direction, and terminating in a forward edge spaced upstream from said first edge.